Making the Cut

I love that hear all the bitchy comments from the judges.

I enjoyed it. Agreed with the choices the judges made and was excited that this would be a design competition and NOT a sewing competition.

Though I miss the elimination format of PR, liked1st 2 episodes, other than the Tim/Heidi bits.

From the judge panel, the location, the runway set design, they definitely elevate the show to a much higher standard than Project Runway, you can tell they have a BIG budget, no surprise, it's Amazon, they can afford everything and anything!

Except to pay their warehouse employees r4.

I guess Heidi and Tim aren't making the cut...

Looks like the winning dress was sold out on Amazon overnight, there are only a few xsmall or xxsmall size left, lol

Just watched the pilot, and man they are showing off all that Amazon money! It's a production. And a million dollar prize, the winners of Project Runway and Next In Fashion must be damn jealous.

And I thought the same r3, I didn't love the elimination format.

I bet it was a way to get all those top notch fashion judges- a fabulous all expense paid holiday in Paris, Tokyo, and presumably New York, plus a chance to peddle your wares on Amazon.

Naomi looks damn good, but I am tired of, "It's disrespecting Haute Couture! It's an insult."

I love all of it. And hot judge Joseph is mine!

I thought it was boring. I don't know if I'll keep watching.

r10, I had to look up his heritage. Chinese and French Basque.

Jonny is handsome. Is he a homo?

Joseph Altuzarra and husband.

You really had to ask r13?

The female magazine editor judge has scary eyebrows!!

need to point out, Ji Won didn't win in the second episode, and I don't think the judges even put her in the top 2, but Amazon loves her dress so much, they have decided to sell it too. It's a wise decision, that white dress looks seriously good and even better on big girls, like the model she used, very athletic with a big frame, and she looked fantastic in that white dress.

Naomi delivers on the cuntiness factor.

It was really uncomfortable watching Naomi make the designer go back and get her dresses so she could better criticize them to her face. It was cold.

The odd thing is that I have a couple of Jackets from Johnny's line, Skingraft. His aesthetic closely mirror's Esther's, but he put such weird simple stuff out there, I don't understand why.

Her you go, R16.

Naomi is a bit cray and over the top. Berating these guys for disrespecting haute couture and making them feel like general shit when you’ve literally seen two outfits they made in a day. Get the fuck over yourself, bitch.

We have two threads going on at the same time. Which one should we keep posting at?

This one. The other one is old.

[quote]95% Polyester, 5% Elastane.

Hell, no.

[quote]Berating these guys for disrespecting haute couture and making them feel like general shit when you’ve literally seen two outfits they made in a day

Did nobody notice the monstrosity Naomi was wearing while bearing everyone for disrespecting haute couture?

It’s really amazing that it’s basically just a more expensive Project Runway, with Heidi hosting and judging and Tim as the mentor. I don’t quite get how that isn’t intellectual property theft, but meh.

Speaking of Runway: it was created and produced by Harvey Weinstein, the all-stars spinoff judged by his complicit wife, and now KKKushner hosts it on an NBC network. (Ronan Farrow alleges NBC not only covered up Matt Lauer’s abuses but also killed the Weinstein story.) So I am glad to have an alternative. I can’t watch Project Runway in good conscience any longer.

The runaway designer drama is so Project Runway.

No comments on Tim's suits? I thought the button was pop right off. It was the first thing I noticed in the opening sequence. But then what he wore as the first episode progressed was the same. Gain a couple pounds, sure it happens but hosting a tv show about fashion, you gotta fix that stuff before you go on camera.

(R16) I know, right. She certainly has the money to go to a beauty salon and have those eyebrows plucked and/or waxed. Why doesn't she?

R30 no one dares to tell her the truth? she was French Vogue editor, maybe she is another Prada wearing devil.

I noticed Tim seems to have some difficulty walking. He had a hard time walking up some stairs in one scene. You can tell Heidi loves Naomi's cruel cuntiness.

[quote]Naomi is a bit cray and over the top. Berating these guys for disrespecting haute couture and making them feel like general shit when you’ve literally seen two outfits they made in a day. Get the fuck over yourself, bitch.

Honey, it's Naomi Campbell. Being cunty is what she does, they knew what she would bring to the show when they hired her.

Project Runway you have 6 designers get judges feedback, for this show you only have four, they've talked to the top two and bottom 2. It's unfortunate for the designers that so many of them don't get any feedback about what the judges thought.

The tension they had hoped to create with “we’ve made up our minds BUT YOU CAN CHANGE OUR MINDS” just isn’t working. It’s no different than any similar competition show except that they render their verdicts before talking to them. On PR, they’ve always written their thoughts on cards and made up their minds, and often change their opinions after talking to the contestants and considering other factors. Two episodes in, the new gimmick already seems like an old gimmick. But I guess they had to do something to make it a little different than Project Runway.

I wish they’d just bill it more honestly as “New and improved Project Runway—now without any Weinsteins or Kushners!” That’s enough of a sales pitch for me.

I like that the competition is straightforward design. No wacky stunts like create a haute couture wedding gown out of an old tire and a can of Spaghettios. You have 24 hours and your time starts now!

You've created a new show, r36! Project Chopped.

R36 - we've only seen two episodes.

I don't know how that chick from Tennessee got on in the first place. Her creations look like the style of little girls clothes that were popular in the 90s. It's like she was a little girl herself in the 90s and carried that style into her adulthood. I almost felt embarrassed for her.

(R39), I thought the same thing, but I guess they needed someone to make fun of.

How can anyone not know how to sew and cut at this stage of her career?

Nicole Ritchie??? I know nothing about her line, but is she taken seriously as a fashion insider? The French Vogue editor is truly terrifying to look at. I like Esther, but two wins in a row seem a bit much.

She has a successful line, House of Harlow, the bohemian sister of the Olsen Twin's line, Elizabeth and James.

I rolled my eyes when they first introduced her, but gotta admit so far I like what she has brought to the judging panel.

Nicole needs to fix that Debbie Wasserman-Schultz perm sitting on top of her head.

EP 3 & 4 up on Amazon now, carry on!

Joseph Attuzurra leather queen loves Jonny leather queen.

This week’s twist on Project Runway’s formula is that instead of Tim saying “you’ll be working in teams,” he said, “you’ll be working on a collab with a fellow designer.”

I appreciate the innovation of this show. It’s nothing like Project Runway because, for one thing, they use different words to describe the exact same challenges! Also, instead of Tim being a mentor and Heidi being the host and the lead judge, Heidi is the host and the lead judge and Tim is a mentor.

Oh, and don't forget, R47, they get twists like having to make another look to give them another opportunity to "be here" because what they showed sucked! How very non-Project Runway of this show!

Oh, and they have to do it using leftover fabric - don't forget that *new* requirement.

Are there any Kushners involved in this production ?

I need to know before I start watching.

One big twist on the Project Runway model is that the winner gets 10 times the prize money without having to be able to sew clothing at all.

That's because unlike Project Runway, this is NOT a sewing competition, R51... oh wait... where have I heard that a million times before...

I don’t understand how a person can be a fashion designer without knowing how to sew? How does that work? It seems like being a great visual artist without knowing how to draw, or a great composer without ever having learned to play an instrument.

How much sewing do you think Tom Ford has done in his career?

R54 I wouldn’t know, but I always assumed that anyone who works in fashion design knows how to sew their own goddamned designs. Otherwise, what is their skill? What elevated them to the top of their field? Just sketching?

Just like it is shown on making the cut, when you are an established designer you have seamstresses that do the physical construction. A designer designs.

You can be an excellent seamstress but have no skill at design, and you can be a great designer but a terrible seamstress.

R56 But how do you become an established designer without ever having learned to sew? Unless your an heir who is given a business like Ivanka Trump, I can’t imagine the professional pathway. Enlighten me.

I have a huge crush on Sander. He’s as adorable as a human puppy, he’s talented and at least so far on this show he just seems level headed and respectful. He behaves professionally, no reality show antics.

Man the Amazon winning versions look so cheap- the fabric and the constructions.

Joseph is such a hot, sexy bitch.

"This is not a sewing competition"

Now

"Make a design in 7 hours with no help"

They finally cut two at once, but frankly they were dead weight who had no chance at winning.

Tokyo should be fun.

[Quote]Man the Amazon winning versions look so cheap- the fabric and the constructions.

Because it is a version that was made for cheap a chinese factory

Who is a better mentor? Siriano or Gunn? I would want Tim. He doesn’t judge the creativity, but suggests different approaches. Siriano is more direct but more stifling, IMHO.

That black and white dress looked like something from a thrift store Halloween rack.

R63 I was thinking that black and white dress looked like something that an extra on American Horror Story would have worn. Def a Halloween vibe. And they raved about it? Why?

Can someone explain how a dress “cuts through the noise?” That seems to be one of their favorite buzz phrases.

I think I’m enjoying it??? Though if I hear “cut through the noise” one more time...

Also, the pop music is distracting and cheesy. We get it, you have Amazon money. But no one needs to hear a shitty Chainsmokers song during a Parisian runway.

[quote] But no one needs to hear a shitty Chainsmokers song during a Parisian runway.

R66 I actually thought that song blend very well with the runway, I had no idea who the singer is, but now I know lol

What was that goose juice song on the runway? It was mortifying.

R68 Lizzo

R69 Oh. That’s Lizzo, huh.

Huh.

I got stuck in the 90s musically. Now I am glad.

I'm surprised that Will was a contestant in the first place. I didn't see a single nice thing from him. The last look was just horrendous, and poor thing thought it was fab.

I wan Johnny on me, quite deeply. Though I suspect it would be the other way around.

R47 Are you a project runway shareholder or what? Who cares if this new show is derivative or not. They took the PR formular and brought it to a new level in many ways (prize money, production value, locations, runway shows, judges, timeframe, seamstresses , models etc.) Heidi was the producer for both PR and this. If you love PR so much stick with it and enjoy your dose of KKK and Miss Siriano.

[quote]Man the Amazon winning versions look so cheap- the fabric and the constructions.

The ones sold on Amazon are made from 100% polyester fabric.

R73 Not in the least. I’m one of the people who has been bitching about Bravo filling Kushner coffers and I would prefer any good alternative to Project Runway.

That doesn’t negate the surprise that the hosts and the concepts of the NBC series just picked up and effectively replicated almost every aspect of the show. It’s peculiar. It seems like an intellectual property infringement or something. But I don’t care. I detest NBC now because of what I learned from Ronan Farrow’s reporting, and I detest Project Runway for making slumlord beneficiary Karlie Kloss Kushner even richer.

I began ordering from Amazon in 1998 or 99 when I was in college and they sold obscure books I needed for my study abroad at Cambridge. I have gone along for the expansive ride with them ever since and have given Amazon waaaay too much of my money.

One thing I learned a very long time ago and which has always proved true: NEVER order clothes from Amazon. Never. They’re always cheap and poorly made. Nearly anything else can be successfully found there but every single item of clothing I have ever ordered from Amazon has been trash.

Sander and Ethel look to be the best designers...

Ethel??

Johnny put a mini version of his dress on his website. It's really cute, but all cotton? Wish he made it out of the same fabric as the show.

I agree about Ethel. Her fashion sense is way ahead of its time.

Decent show. The worst parts are the Heidi and Tim interludes. I think they overestimate how beloved they are.

I had high hopes for this show - huge budget, Heidi, Tim, etc - but the cast of designers is THE WORST. Serious lack of talent and boring as hell. The casting director should be flogged. I suspect they realized what dud contestants they had early on and then filmed all the cutesy Heidi and Tim bits to fill the time. And yes, you should, at the very least, know how to operate a goddamn sewing machine to be a fashion designer.

If only they could have found legendary talents like Anya, Gretchen and Ashley Nell Tipton!!!

According to Amazon, the show is directed by an Egyptian director named Ramy Romany whose credits include Ancient Aliens.

R83 lol, but to be fair, he is just the director here, not the producer or the writer, and according to his resume, his forte is cinematography, seems a fit for a fashion show.

They have to get some really great designers and mix them in with shittier ones. It makes for great TV when you can tell someone they have shitty taste, and it makes it easier to get rid of people early on. They only time they keep the shitty ones is if they are part of some "woke" narrative, or if they bring drama.

[quote] Serious lack of talent and boring as hell.

Many of the designers have successful stores and/or brands already. Not quite sure what's the talent you're expecting here since it's quite clear most are very talented. Unfortunately some people just can't get their head together in these kinds of contests since they are used to working in their own studio, with their own teams. The tatted blond guy has a successful brand in China with his friend and those clothes looked great. His last look in the show however was total crap.

Since Amazon seems to be looking for a brand I do wonder if every contestant should've brought in their design teams from their companies, and not have them do it all on their own.

Oops. I meant Sander and Esther...

Are you sure you don't mean Dickens and Fenster, r77?

R62, Tim has given awful advice the few times he offered it.

R89 sometimes I think he acts all friendly but secretly wants to stir things up for the drama.

I will never take Tim seriously again after he dressed up like a circus monkey for the street-wear challenge instructions.

I liked the designs in the first of this week’s episodes. That was a good one. The second one...not so good.

Episode 6 winning designs- WTF were those color choices?

Has Tim said “Make it work?”

(R94) No, the new ridiculous catchphrase is "Cut through the noise."

I disagreed with the losing choice for the most recent episode and I don’t blame Naomi for her frustration. If the cunty judges never change their minds, what’s the point of that element?

R96 Tbh, Naomi is the most competent and sensible judge on there. Joseph Altuzarra is also good. Heidi Klum should not be on the judging panel. Chiara F. is beautiful but completely clueless and makes many mean comments and unfortunate facial expressions on cam.

That old Italian guy - thank God he and his hooded robes are gone.

That Israeli chick - she did so awful in the second episode. Her outfits looked completely off the rack, if the rack was from 1987.

It was jarring at first when I realized the French eyebrows and Niole Richie weren't moving on, they should have given some goodbye acknowledgement in their last episode. Chiari has brought nothing to the judging panel in these two eps.

I agree that the streetwear runway was legitimately an impressive showing.

Also Sander, you are talented, but bitch your career will go nowhere if you don't want to channel that into some garments with more mass market appeal. That's the business.

Also Esther crying about the journey of how she got herself to *gasp* use a color was hilarious.

I simply detest whoever did Heidi’s hair extensions!.....

R99 - keep calm - Heidi said Nicole will be back for the finale.

R101 oink oink

I knew the top three would be who they were. I was sad to see my favorite of the bunch go. I actually noticed in these two episodes that Naomi has a side to her that's very warm and genuine - she's not a complete bitch. Heidi, on the other hand, doesn't have that - she's kind of unaffected by things and doesn't show much emotion. It's interesting the contrast between the two.

Sander is an adorable sexy muppet baby.

(R104) You can have Sander. I'll take Jonny (without the h).

Girls! Girls! Calm down! Jonny is married!

Half of gay married couples have some sort of open relationship...

I knew Ji was out the second they showed her saying she doesn't like designing for plus sized women. What a shame, her industrial jumper aesthetics made her one of the most exciting designers in the beginning. Unfortunately at some point she started losing her way. She was a fool to listen to anything judges said about showing variety because she could've kept on doing slight variations of her basic industrial look and could've presented great work. Esther managed to do it and she's done great, although tbh although Esther is all about black she still showed a great variety of garments.

I like Jonny and I'm glad he got to stay. Megan had some nice looks but overall she and Jonny are both far behind Esther and Sander who really are the top two designers. They've consistently shown great talent and ability to create cohesive looks that look fresh and high-end. Jonny is a ready-to-wear designer with a very limited skill set but he most certainly creates clothes people want to buy. The reason he lasted this long is his personality, and there's nothing wrong with that since that's half the brand already. It's possible he ends up winning the whole thing. At this point any one of them could win. I think Esther is closest to being a high-end (Northern European) brand à la Raf Simons and Maison Margiela.

It appears to have early Parkinson’s disease. His hands shake slightly and he holds the Microphone very tightly.

^ ugh Tim appears @ r109.

Hate the Tim and Heidi segments. I wonder if Jonny would’ve been selected if Esther hadn’t helped him finish...Megan’s gripe seems legitimate.

Megan was never going to be F3, but she did herself no favors with her collection. It's like they told her she needed to push herself and "cut through the noise" (whatever the fuck that means), and she looked over at Jonny and Esther and thought - hey, they like the black leather stuff - maybe I'll do that! As much as the judges railed against the black drab always wanting "color", it's what they picked in the end. And if they're worried about what's commercial and sellable to a large swath of women, then it's Megan. Naomi got it.

Megan’s best look was very reminiscent of Esther’s aesthetic...

[quote] Hate the Tim and Heidi segments. I wonder if Jonny would’ve been selected if Esther hadn’t helped him finish...Megan’s gripe seems legitimate.

Well Megan was a bitch in front of the judges when she started to dis Jonny's clothing. I'd say that was the real Megan showing through and gave a glimpse of what she really thinks of Jonny. After that all her interaction with Jonny came off as super fake and I thought to myself well isn't she a homophobic cunt who's pretending to be nice. If someone who I'd been friendly with did that to me I'd pretty much stop communicating with them. Jonny, quite wisely, hugged her and pretended like it didn't matter. He probably didn't want to start a silly reality TV feud.

Sander is very uneven with his designs...I adored his exchanged jacket looks, but sometimes the fabrics and colors he uses look very cheap. I personally love Esther's clothing and jewelry and I'd like to buy them all, and I own 2 of Jonny's jackets, but he is very limited in his execution and vision.

I'm surprised that Megan didn't bring up the fact that Esther helped out Johnny- that's what the Project Runway contestants would do.

Watching these two episodes I could just think....Johnny must be the winner right? He gets the most screentime and seems to be getting the winner's edit. I know this game.

[Quote]I thought to myself well isn't she a homophobic cunt who's pretending to be nice

Girl, this says more about you since nothing she said was remotely homophobic in any way. Wtf are you talking about?

R114, I didn't think Megan was being a bitch. She was being honest in defending herself. It's what you're supposed to do on this show, apparently. And for sure Jonny is the winner. We've seen the launch of his new store. They told him to drop that creepy skingraft name. He's also stretched himself much further than Esther, who thinks white is "color". Btw, am I the only one who got Santa Claus suit out of Sander's last designs? Plus an elf costume to go with it? I was floored that the judges were awed by them and saw anything remotely commercial.

I thought this show was about designer high fashion, not commercial high street.

[Quote]I wonder if Jonny would’ve been selected if Esther hadn’t helped him finish...

Megan was a goner no matter what was sent down the runway. Judges already knew they wanted to see collections from Sander, Esther and Johnny.

[Quote]I thought this show was about designer high fashion, not commercial high street.

That's why Megan never had a real shot. Her fashion is too commercial, too accessible.

Megan is the ultimate frau designer. I could see her as the head dress designer for Nordstroms or something like that. Like someone said earlier, the contest is really between Sander and Esther. My money is on Sander, as he is young and and has tons of potential. Esther's kind of a one trick pony. She's good but the whole goth thing is a really limited market. Jonny really lacks imagination. He's always struggling to figure out what's next. Not a problem with Sander.

Jonny makes leather jackets. . . Naomi is the best judge. . . Esther and Sander are the most talented but I can't see either becoming a "global" brand since their designs are not commercial enough nor do they have broad appeal.

[quote] Esther's kind of a one trick pony. She's good but the whole goth thing is a really limited market.

She designs in black but her clothes are easy to manufacture in various colors and fabrics. If she wins she's most probably expected to get her own design team which will probably bring in color and patterns.

[quote] Girl, this says more about you since nothing she said was remotely homophobic in any way. Wtf are you talking about?

It was just a hunch based on how Megan was behaving. Sure I could be totally wrong, obviously. It's hard to read these reality show personalities since we're shown only a slice of their behavior, and reality tv productions are masters at creating whatever kind of story they want practically from nothing.

I really hated the two :face-offs between Megan and Jonny. It really put them in a difficult situation. I loved that Jonny got Megan to smile before she left the room . Yes, Naomi by far is the superior judge. I am sure Heidi will try to get rid of her if there is a season two.

R119, I am not sure what you are trying to say, but if you think that what they are designing are "high" streetwear, I am really baffled. Very little of this stuff fits that category however eleastically you define it.

R124 I didn’t get the impression that Megan was homophobic at all. However, the professed friendship between her and Jonny ( “LA girls”) always seemed fake to me. I got the impression that they secretly loathed each other. They had bad communication during the collaboration challenge and really didn’t enjoy each other’s company then.

R125 I want Naomi, Altuzarra and maybe Nicole Ritchie to stay as judges. They seem to genuinely care about the designers and their output. Heide and especially Chiara F need to go. Heidi is just a business woman and only cares about making cash from this. Chiara F is only interested in self-promotion and has nothing worthwhile to say.

Playing with my cunt?

Sander put #globalbrand under this IG post. Could he be the winner? I certainly hope so. But he is pretty cocky, so who knows. He was the only designer who never had a problem coming up with interesting ideas. (Maybe Esther, too, but she struggled with “color”.) Even when the judges demanded “accessible” stuff from him, he came up with a great design (the T-shirt outfit) that mocked the judges criticism and managed to win the challenge at the same time.

Watched 2 episodes. It’s meh. Not gonna watch anymore of it.

R127, they had creative differences but it was not especially toxic. Their collaboration worked.

I agree that Naomi is cunty but the worst is that "influencer" girl, I don't even know what that is but she's nasty

Naomi has surprisingly turned out to be the best judge. The "influencer" is a waste, and judging by her own clothing, has zero taste.

They treat the influencer like she's Anna Wintour, which is more than just a little fucked up. Even that older guy behaved like he was in the presence of the queen when he was praising her. That said quick googling tells she really is a big deal.

"Chiara has modeled extensively, making the cover of many big-name modeling magazines, including Vogue three times. She has had numerous fashion collaborations with the likes of Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, J Brand and Seven for All Mankind.

"She even has her own Barbie doll, with Mattel creating a Barbie version of herself, dressed in Chiara Ferragni Collection clothes."

R134 well, she is beautiful but that's it.

I think the older guy had a gay boner for her because she's a fellow Italian. But she adds zero to the critiques. Zero.

Naomi is the undisputed star of the season. She is cunting the whole way, but she is on point, constantly, and knows her industry.

Altuzarra, though, is so fucking gorgeous. He's hard to take your eyes off of.

Overall I like the show. Though I don't care for the influencer (not a social media person, sorry). I like the whimsical Heidi & Tim segments. I like the overall elevated Project Runway feel of the show. However, the designs don't really WOW! me. But I am impressed by Sander's craftsmanship. I like Esther too, but from a brand perspective her obsession with black limits her and not being able to come up with something good when pushed out of her comfort zone. I think Sander is the winner of the season. Jonny is nice, but his clothes are not in any way fashion forward and that's what the show is looking for. But he can sell himself and his brand, I give him that.

[quote] Altuzarra, though, is so fucking gorgeous. He's hard to take your eyes off of.

He is but I noticed in the last episode when he was laughing, or trying to, that his face looked totally frozen. It felt bizarre since he's only 37 but maybe he's heavily into botox. Or he just naturally looks weird while laughing which is why he rarely does it.

[Quote]I like the whimsical Heidi & Tim segments.

I can no longer take your opinion seriously.

I get what they are going for with the Heidi and Tim segments- but they don’t work. They should have had them doing something on fashion- meeting with a French or Tokyo designer or do a story on the fashion scene. I want to fuck Sander too! I would like to see more male designs. I do t think there has been one on sale.

Tim is fine in those segments, but Heidi is so over-the top spastic that she comes off as incredibly fake. I'd much rather watch Naomi walking the streets and interacting with regular people. THAT would be gold. d nu

I knew Megan was a goner the moment she chose real animal leather (crocodile) for her designs. I like the final three.

Johnny is hot

R141 There are only two sections of 2-3 minutes each per episode of Heidi and Tim. Don’t you guys have any patience? They travel to great destinations - why not show some nice corners to the viewers? I’d much rather watch this than another 5 minute of ‘drama ‘ from the contestants or ‘omg, I am running out of time’ scenes.

I love it that Heidi is such a sore loser. Poor Tim. Although (I'm paraphrasing), "But you beat me in fencing in Paris" is so glamorous sounding.

The Heidi and Tim bits are the WORST.

I'm surprised as anyone that Naomi has turned out to be the best judge, even on this weak panel. Since the first episode, I think she's been on point with her criticism and what works. Its like she's the heir to Michael Kors in judging. And her cuntiness just adds to the fun, I find her a hoot. Although it was nice to see how warm she was when Megan was cut. I think she was looking out for a sistah, which I appreciated, because that's a pretty white panel.

R148 I think Naomi definitely plays to the cameras - sometimes showing her bitch face, sometimes showing her ‘big heart’. She just does it better than Heidi.

R145, I now FF them, a total waste of my time. I'd rather watch a commerical.

Heidi and Tim segments are stupid. Fake and not cute.

Naomi is great; she's bitchy when warranted and supportive even nurturing too. she was really nice to both Megan and Rinat too.

Naomi should be the star.

Heidi sounds like a robot.

I still love Tim. His actions convince me that he loves mentoring and has genuine affection for the designers. When He gets pushed to be an extrovert, it’s uncomfortable. Although when he told Megan she was the only one without a win, which made her cry. And then had the gall to ask her why the tears? WTF?

Naomi has had some damn good plastic surgery.

Tim worked best when he worked with novice designers. When thw designers became more professional, he had less to offer.

Although he did tell Sander to have the models exchange jackets on the runway, which everyone thought was genius and Sander never acknowledged him for that.

Christian Siriano is a better mentor on Project Runway than Tim was. I like Tim, but it's the truth.

R156 but Christian Soriano has no taste. At least time always looks good and classy.

R152 what I find kind of annoying are Tim’s “emotional” outbursts. Like when he says “after seeing all of your stuff I am absolutely convinced the next global fashion brand is in this room” or something with tears eyes. Or when he complained that the contestants lacked “fire” and “came up” with a mini challenge to “wake them up“. Super showy and super fake. In the end he wants the same things as Heidi from this: self-promotion and $$$.

R155, we do not know that he never acknowledged Tim. We only know that it was not included in the episode.

I remember hearing some of the stuff that was cut from Project Runway. It changed the whole meaning of what we saw onscreen.

SPOILER

Omg, the final two episodes were just sad: It was like 95 % all about commerce and 5 % about fashion design. They only give the million dollars to those who are willing to sell out. As Nicole Ritchie said: The want to invest in the designer who can bring to highest return. So much wasted potential for real fashion design ...

I won’t post spoilers, but I will say I am very disappointed in one development and...argh!!! I like Esther’s clothes, but the whole “black” storyline with constant, endless comments about how she only uses black is so fucking annoying. Black isn’t a brand. They’re trying way too hard with this. It’s such a risk to always use black! “You need to use some color sometime.” I have tried it and I must be true to myself! I use only black! It is expression of my soul! “We respect that. You are a true, one-of-a-kind artist!” Black ropes! Black skirts! Black shirts! I am inspired! My brand is black! No one has done this before! Seven billion human beings on the planet at this moment—and I am the one who has discovered black!!

So fucking annoying. Ugh. Especially after 67 seasons of Project Runway, with almost every season featuring judges yelling at and then eventually kicking off a designer who refused to divert from black-only clothing. I just can’t get into it.

Esther is personable and her clothes are fine. It’s mainly the huge directorial emphasis on the color she uses that annoys the fuck out of me. Jesus Christ.

I was shocked who they eliminated in the final three. IMO that contestant showed the most promise to be the next big brand in "accessible" fashion.

The winner made sense since the runner up was just too hung up about the color black (ups, does that count as spoiler?).

Overall it was a nice enough season.

Sassy Sander Salamander is so adorable I can’t stand it.

While this was filmed Sander didn't seem to have a significant other. I wonder if that has changed?

Such a tease...

I called it last week. Those episodes made it obvious who the winner would be, they dominated screentime going into the finale.

Judges: You can’t do all black all the time.

Esther: But I can. It is all I do.

Judges: Try something new.

Esther: I can’t. My won’t. My soul will not allow it.

Judges: Esther, you can’t do all black.

Esther: I added gold. I am brave.

Judges: The gold is tacky. Otherwise we like it.

Esther: My world is black.

Other contestants: Jokes about you only using black. Haha!

Esther: Haha! Yes!

Judges: We respect that you only use black. It is your brand. Use color.

Amazon lady: We need you to use color.

Esther: I only use black.

Judges: You are a genius and we respect you.

Esther: Here is black and white.

Judges: Your brand is all black. It is why we like you. We want to give you a million dollars. Our only question is, will you use color? You have to use color to win the million dollars, Esther.

Esther: I will.

Judges: Meh.

I was disappointed with Sanders pop up shop looks. The clothes seemed tacky. Esther didn’t need to use just one colour. She could have changed the colour of one of her designs and it wouldn’t have made a difference. At the end of the day they chose the most accessible designer and well it is for amazon. Just checked and that gorgeous poncho thing is already sold out as are a third of his designs with them not shipping to the UK! So they are not really selling it around the world are they? It’s supposed to be accessible to buy!

R166 - perfect summary.

I think everyone knew who the winner would be.

R169 I didn’t. That person’s stuff did not impress me during most of the season.

I was rooting for Sander, he is really an evil genius, but his pop up store was kind of meh. Although I love the tailoring idea, he really couldn't sell his brand. I felt bad for Esther, she really seems so genuine and so very sad. I'm sure this will bump her sale through the roof though.

Jonny's stuff was good, he seems like he could be like a cut above a Michael Cors or some other generic brand.

I'm wondering why Tim didn't render his final "I'm worried" judgement on their final collection. Maybe too close to Project Runway SOP?

Overall a fun show. I like the camaraderie between the contestants, made it that much more fun to watch.

I now have fantasies about cuddling with Sander, who will cattily insult me and then giggle and snuggle.

He’s so adorable in his oversized sweaters.

[quote]Jonny's stuff was good, he seems like he could be like a cut above a Michael Cors or some other generic brand.

His stuff is a COPY of Michael Kors. It's ridiculous

Esther can't help it, she basically designs for herself. I would love to see her designs in blue and red. Or gold, but not like her last attempt. Most of Jonny's designs under the Jonny Kota label are sold out on the Amazon store.

I though Jonny deserved the win. Didn’t like the cutlery motif Esther went with. Also, is it that hard to say to the judges - I think my designs are strong enough to be made in any color.

Jonny grew and she didn’t. They want this shit to sell on Amazon. If she had only realized that one dress in five colors sells more than one black dress she might have won.

Shocked by Sander. His designs all season were very intellectual and grown up. His pop up designs weren’t like anything he made before and I don’t think he’d have made it to the final 3 if he had designed like that all along.

Jonny is great at selling him and his brand to someone like Amazon. That's why he won. He listened to the judges and gave them what they want and every time a story came with it. He sold his brand, and its metamorphosis branding, from the start. To me it felt more calculated than what Sander did with his "accessible? ACCESSIBLE? I show them accessible!" move. Sander was able to give the judges what they wanted and got praised for it. Esther, who I love, just couldn't get her head around going beyond the color black. She couldn't expand her brand and sell her "I'll show the judges how much I have grown throughout the competition" clear enough by being successful at finally using color and expanding her brand right in front of their eyes. Keeping true to yourself is such feel-good, special episode PSA, but doesn't make you the next great investment.

I was shocked by what Sander had at his pop up. Even Joseph said the concept of having a tailor was a good idea, but basically said Sander's clothing wasn't really the type of clothing you'd tailor. I don't think a younger crowd is into having their clothes tailored, either. I was surprised how junior his clothes looked, but also how design school they seemed. It made me wonder if what he showed throughout the show looked good because he had someone sewing for him. The quality of his workmanship didn't seem to be there for the pop-up shop. I agree about Esther, too, but Nicole said it when she said if you want to do all black, then that's great, but that means you are choosing to have a limited market. It was fairly evident all the way through that she wasn't prepared to compromise her love of black, so it kind of baffles me that she made it to the end if, in the end, what they really wanted was someone who was going to be commercially viable. That was never going to be her.

WTF! I thought this thread would be about circumcision.

I really liked all of the Final Three -- no Wendy Peppers here! -- and would not have been terribly upset whichever one won. That said...

I thought Naomi changing her vote was done solely for dramatic purposes. Otherwise, it would have been a 4-1 blowout for Jonny. (Heidi, I feel, was always going to vote for [italic]das Vaterland[/italic].)

If I were a judge, I would have screamed by episode four, “ETHER!!! There is more to your work than the color! Your designs are more than the color!! Shut up about black! If you keep talking about black, black is all we’ll see! SHUT UP ABOUT USING ONLY BLACK!”

And I would have yelled at the other judges, “This woman is only comfortable using black. That’s it. She’s not going to do anything else. We need to decide now if that will work for us and if it will work for Amazon. Because “black” is not a design aesthetic in and of itself, and if we get fixated on that, it’s going to ruin the whole first season of this fucking show. Decide now.”

Esther reminded me of what a friend once said about The Amazing Race. When you want to go on a show like The Amazing Race you pretend you have this great fear of heights. Then when you get cast and they force you to do some bungee jump you put on a drama act at first and then slowly come around and "face your fear" and do the jump. That's "good TV", because someone conquered his or her fear of something.

If you have real limits you don't want to get challenged ... don't put yourself in a position where people try to push your boundaries. For a designing competiton like Project Runway, Next In Fashion, or Making The Cut you should know how to construct and sew clothing and do it in a timely fashion for the challenges. I mean the other contestant, Sabato Russo, seemed really nice, but he was doomed from the start with his limitations. Same with Esther. Super nice, but it was clear from the start that she was not what the show was looking for in a winner if she doesn't want to play the game and expand her brand and is able to do it successfully.

"das Vaterland" - so clever, r179... not.

I wanted Esther to win. Jonny’s dress with the horizontal stripes across the chest was so the GAP 1988.

Altuzarra was a weak judge. Reminds me of Zac Posen. Naomi was good. They should’ve asked Jay McCarroll to be a judge if not for the comedy.

No comments about Heidi's finale outfit? It was a boobs out, legs out, tacky little monstrosity.

I think Esther would have won if this was Project Runway, i think her runway was stronger.

But this was about finding someone who could work well with Amazon to launch stuff that sells, and I can't fault them for picking Johnny.

It was odd how Sanders pop up clothing was a much more junior aesthetic than he showed in the season, it wasn't bad, but the clothes were aimed at noticeably young demographic.

r185, it was HIDEOUS.

Esther should have won. She gave us fashion. Jonny gave us lifestyle. They’re two different things.

Also, I think Jonny won because he was American.

Yeah, Heidi looked ridiculous in that get up with her boobs pushed up and out. Jonny won because he would outsell Esther by a mile on Amazon. Designers want their clothes to sell. Not many can make a living selling niche clothes. Esther was never going to win.

R186 I think Sander tried to exhibit more commercial looks for his pop up store. However, he has posted the runway looks on IG and they look very impressive and anything but juniorish. IMO this collection is by far the most high fashion, relevant and focused one out of the three finalists. These looks clearly show his great talent and skill at only 24. These look like they belong to Paris fashion week - but probably not on Amazon. Also, he has clearly evolved through the show as these looks don’t look too similar to the stuff he’s done before.

BTW, I liked Jonny’s first 3 to 4 outfits , then the tacky (e.g. all this yellow stuff) became more and apparent. Even the judges became less enthusiastic. I was shocked to see him win over Esther.

I liked 50 % of Ester’s collection but then the other half looked like filler looks, like she ran out of ideas. There was no clear focus throughout except the black and the “hungry for life” cutlery.

IMO Sander’s stuff blows the other two collection out of the water, a pity it was not shown on the show.

Jonny’s male model showing his tits through the sheer blue top was hot.

I wonder if Amazon didn't want Sander to win, because they couldn't see themselves dealing with this young, opinionated designer? You know Jonny will jump whenever Amazon tells him to jump. And Esther? She would've whined and argued with Amazon regarding using color and then self-sabotage and deliver absolute shit in color.

R190 I think her implants are too big for her age now. She should get them out. But her hubby probably loves them.

R194 The Amazon fashion chief looked like a power frau. It was funny to see her ask Esther about her preference for black when the Amazon woman was dressed and styled like a tacky parrot. Also, her plastic surgery looked really dated and not well done.

R196 tacky parrot, 😂

Absolutely, r189, it's all part of the marketability.

Paris fashion week, R191? That looks like Imelda Marcos' closet.

R199 yes, Paris fashion week. I have never hard of Imelda Marcos but I have seen these collections. The long , droopy silhouettes and strong shoulders are very relevant. The color choice reflects his own design language but is totally within what is current.

Sander definitely had the most relevant collection and Jonny the less relevant one.

Jonny had the LEAST relevant collection. I bet even Mr. Altuzarra knew.

R200, you're fucking mad if you think Sander's collection is anything like Givenchy.

R203 It’s the silhouette, stupid. Check out look 1 in Sanders collection and look 1 in Givenchy’s.

R203 It’s the silhouette, stupid. Check out look 1 in Sanders collection and look 1 in Givenchy’s.

Or look 7 by Givenchy and Sander’s all pink middle look in the second Ig picture of the collection. If you still can’t see it you are just totally clueless.

Sander is also green. I am trying to picture him in that meeting with Amazon giving a business pitch. Johnny and Esther have a lot of experience with running a business, he does not.

R205/r206, that was one of my favourite shows from the last Paris Fashion Week, but that was nothing to do with collection itself, which was rather garish aside from a couple of the looks, but the whole vibe of the show. The silhouettes were a little too strange. Having said that, there is a world of difference between Sander's designs and those of Clare Waight Keller - although she was dismissed as the Givenchy creative director after that collection, so any similarities you can see with Sander's looks are perhaps not a bonus for him.

I turned the show off when they eliminated Sander. Came here and saw that Jonny won. I'm glad he won over Esther and her fork, knife, and spoon idea.

Hungry for life and silverware is what she comes up with? How about teeth? Or a baby animal eating?

She's a fashion designer yet wears the same hideous hat day in and day out with an 3 foot rat tail of hair hanging out of it. The hat makes her look like a goth train conductor.

She isn't smart because just like Nicole said- if you won't stop making black you are choosing to stay small. But I also blame the judges for keeping her there. I loved this show, but keeping Esther and then not eliminating her really turned me off so much so that I didn't even watch the rest of the last episode.

[quote]The hat makes her look like a goth train conductor.

All aboard the Esther Express!

I’m late to start watching this. Love Naomi Campbell. She is truthful and hilarious and passionate. I think Heidi likes Naomi and knows Naomi is good TV.

I’ll be so sad if Tim Gunn has Parkinson’s Disease, but I guess that’s life.

I thought Heidi was upset over Naomi upstaging her. In one particular episode I thought they were coming to blows.

SPOILER

I would have been happy if Sanders won. I would have been happy if Esther won.

I am not happy Jonny won.

Knowing how to self aggrandize and whip up a story is not fashion. That's marketing. With1 mil you can hire people to market your brand. And his business plan was all over the place.

I have no idea why he won. And I am very disappointed.

R213, he presented hole to Joseph.

I just finished watching Season One, Episode 3. I don't mind the spoilers upthread.

So far, Esther's designs seem the most wearable and flattering. I just like her personality as well. I think she can become more successful. The leather guy, give me a break. You need to do more than leather. We're not in the 80s.

Ji's designs I like a lot as well. Not all of it is very figure-flattering, though.

It could just be an essential tremor. Harmless.

Sat down with my husband and called Jonny the winner in episode 1 even though I could not stop staring at the ethereal beauty that was Martha. It was that obvious. Maybe I’ve watched too much reality TV and just know the edit.

The only thing I was wrong on was I predicted Esther as a shock F4 boot after being such a front runner in Episode 1.

Esther’s collection was better but her “Hungry for Life” motif was stupid - sounds like a Linda campaign on Facebook. She is no marketer; Jonny has that in spades. But Jonny is so basic - but it’s a show to be a global brand for Amazon, so it’s to be expected.

And for all the shit they gave Esther for her black palette, all of the F4 except Sander had a boring palette! Jonny was black and white. Oh, so versatile.

Jonny's eponymous clothing on Amazon is not cheap. Or available:

I just finished the series. I agree with r212 re: Naomi and Heidi. There is no love lost there.

Heidi looks haggard and washed-out with her nude lip. And as another poster pointed out—Tim’s suit was too tight.

I didn’t particularly care for the Hansel and Gretel segments and Heidi comes off as dumb. I hope she was joking when she didn’t know what titillating meant.

I liked Sanders and thought he would win. He probably would’ve won on Project Runway.

Will had zero taste but liked him as a person. The blonde guy leaving was bizarre.

I don’t like Heidi as a judge I thought Altuzarra was good Didn’t like Chiara one bit and don’t get all the fuss. I really liked Nicole and liked her comments Naomi was Naomi and had good critiques. I think she is the most beautiful woman in the world.

I’d watch another season

Heidi's the type of mother who tells her children to get off her when they try to hug.

R128 wow, seeing Johnny’s stuff on Amazon, it’s really a great fit for both sides. There really couldn’t have bee another winner really.

Jonny’s personality had a lot to do with the win.

Finished watching E5 of S1 ("Streetwear" in Tokyo). Sabato (Italian man) eliminated.

IMO, Heidi got another rhinoplasty. On her previous nose job, they took away too much of her natural nose. This time, they built her nose back up. It does look better. I'm posting what I think is her old nose job (photo on right).

She's had some other stuff done. Too many extensions in her hair. Over all, looks good, though.

Naomi cried when they eliminated Sabato. I am still loving how dramatic and passionate Naomi is.

R223 while you’re at it, Naomi looks VERY different to her younger self, too. What I find most distracting are Hedi’s too big implants but I guess she just can’t leave the lingerie model in her behind.

R224 , I'll have to examine Naomi's face. As much as I am loving her as a judge on MTC, I am hating her atrocious wigs.

Yes, Heidi's still into her breast implants.

I fast-forward through the Heidi / Tim Gunn cutesy stuff.

Well Esther's collab with Shopbop is underwhelming. And the photography makes everything look cheap, while the prices are not:

Here's her independent (apart from Amazon) website, R226. Similar prices. Except for t-shirts, most things seemed to be dry-clean only, including pants. I do disregard labels and machine wash things sometimes, but don't really want to chance it on everything.

I was disappointed in her pop-up shop slogan: "Believe in Your Dream" or something inane like that.

I liked her clothes the best of all the contestants, though.

Oh I know her personal website, and am fine with the prices. It's just that that they made it look so cheap on the Shopbop/Amazon site.

R228 the Amazon Website looks really cheap in general. They should invest their money in some re-design.

Amazon is allowing one star reviews from people who haven't bought the clothes who are just objecting to the price.

Hey Guys, FYI, ordered something from Esther Perbandt's website (Germany, not Amazon). I had a couple of questions about the item and sent an email before ordering. She (Esther) actually emailed me back, a couple of times, very nice and polite. I ended up liking what I bought, nice quality.

Oohh, what did you order? Please let us know about the quality, fit, etc. when you get it.

R232, I got some leather shoes (yes, black in color). Very nice quality (stitching is nice), IMO, although I'm not a leather expert. Fit seems good, but I haven't walked in them very much yet. Plus, my low back went out and I am really just wanting to wear flip-flops right now. 😛 I hope you give her website a try.